KCBS May Add Home Videos to Nightly News

The popularity of the TV entertainment hit “America’s Funniest Home Videos” has prompted KCBS Channel 2 to consider including a similar element in its nightly news, according to the station’s general manager.

A final decision on whether to proceed with a videos feature, which would focus on how to use camcorders and include examples of amateur tapes, will depend on the quality of viewer submissions and other elements, said KCBS general manager Robert Hyland and news director Michael Singer.

Amateur tapes are increasingly used on news broadcasts with the spreading popularity of camcorders. Videos have already been broadcast locally by such journalists as KNBC Channel 4 sports reporter Fred Roggin, a spokeswoman for that station acknowledged.

However, an ad placed in The Times last week by KCBS--which Hyland said “basically came out through our promotion department”--implied a firm hope by the last-place network station to begin a videos series on the 11 p.m. news anchored by Jim Lampley and Bree Walker. The May ratings sweeps, one of four months a year that help determine advertising prices for stations, began this week.

“Shoot your family and friends . . . with your video camera,” said the ad, “and KCBS will air them during the 11PM ACTION NEWS broadcast. Send us your funniest, most noteworthy video moments and . . . watch what happens.” The ad concluded with the address of “KCBS-TV Action News.”

Singer said earlier this week that he hadn’t seen the ad and had never watched ABC’s “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” He added: “The idea was to do a consumer piece on video cameras, how they work, what’s coming out down the road. And someone said, ‘If we do that, why don’t we solicit videos to see how people use their video cameras, like panning too fast?’ ”

Hyland, like Singer, emphasized that proceeding with the project was uncertain at this point. But Hyland acknowledged that “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” the top new hit of the TV season, was a factor in stimulating the editorial thinking at KCBS.

“We’re in the TV business, he said. “People are fascinated by these cameras, and we figured that since we’re in a visual business, why not let people participate?

“We thought we’d have some of our own camera operators on and explain things to people and talk about these cameras and what they can and can’t do.”

Hyland said that it would probably be late this week or next before KCBS knows whether it has gotten worthwhile videos from viewers for the project and “if it is a good idea.” He said he was opposed to the kind of tapes on “America’s Funniest Home Videos” that were criticized for seeming to exploit children: “I think it’s wrong making fun of little kids who fall down or walk into a wall. Taste is our No. 1 consideration.”